Review: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  

First off can we talk about how absolutely stunning the cover is?  I had no idea what this was about and I wanted to read it based on the cover alone, then I read the synopsis and I was even more excited to read it!

I really enjoyed this, especially the folklore/mythology aspects of this book.  I love learning about different cultures through their lore and myths and this was an excellent journey through West African tales at during a time of great strife.  Gods and Goddesses in many cultures or Orisas in Africa are often seen as great and powerful beings whose wrath is mighty, but who also protect those who pray to them and pay them homage.  This tale is no different, we have Yemoja, who is an Orisa of the sea and she has created the Mami Wata or mermaids that captures the souls of the fallen slaves.  The Mami Wata bless the souls and help them on their journey to the Creator.  Slave trade has become rampant and when our main character comes across a man in the water who is not dead, she decides to save him instead of guide is sole to the creator.  Her actions go against the task she was given as a Mami Wata and may put her kind at risk.  Simidele begs Yemoja for forgiveness, however it is not hers to grant and Simi must go on a journey to seek absolution from the Creator directly.  She is aided by the boy she saved, Kola, as he knows where the high priest who can help them.  As Kola and Simi race to Kola's village, they encounter friend and foe along the way.  The also discover that the Creator's messenger has grown power hungry  and  is not doing what is best for humans and orisas.  Not only must they save the Mami Wata, but now there is much more at stake.  

I really thought the author did a great job with the world building.  The descriptions of the mythical creatures and the Orisas was done really well.  This is not the first book I've read about Yemoja and her Mami Wata, and I've done some research on the subject because it is quite fascinating.  I think she did a wonderful job blending the historical points with the lore and the more fantastical aspects of the story.  I also really enjoyed learning about Simidele through her flashbacks before she became a Mami Wata,   I thought her struggle with who she is today and her letting go of her humanity was done very well and the emotions came through on the page.  There was also a good bit of action in this to keep the pace going.  I could have done without the budding romance, but it wasn't so overpowering it took away from anything.  This does end a bit abruptly.  It isn't quite a cliffhanger, but it leaves  you with that cliffhanger feeling.  I believe there are going to be more books and I hope there is more to Simi's story because there are some unanswered questions about what happens next to Simi, Kola and their friends.   I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

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